Are you enamored with many kinds of foods? Are sugary foods your Achilles’ heel? Many people prefer flavorful ethnic food. Ever wonder how to prepare meals like this at home? Well, stop wondering and start cooking! Use the tips in this article to find out how to cook up some delicious meals.
Pungent foods such as garlic, onions, and fish can leave an offensive odor on your hands. You can effectively remove this scent by rubbing your hands on a stainless steel object before you wash them. You can use your stainless steel sink or a spoon to quickly remove the odor from your hands.
Many times your burgers can stick to your grill and it could be nearly impossible to free them without destroying them. If, however, you brush the grill with oil, this will help prevent sticking.
Start out with fat-free stock in order to make a low-fat soup or stew. The goal is to make the soup as low fat as possible, so lean meat and masses of vegetables are next to go into the pot. Once it is complete, cool the soup in the refrigerator before eating it. This will cause the fat to congeal and rise to the top. Once this happens you can easily remove the fat that has hardened and discard. Every tablespoon of hardened fat is worth around 100 calories.
Replacing some of your mashed potatoes with equal amounts of cauliflower is a healthy alternative, reducing fat and calories. You will not even taste the cauliflower in with the potatoes, because it is so bland. When they’re mashed, cauliflowers have the same appearance and consistency as potatoes, too. Adding a little cauliflower can take calories out of your favorite mashed potato recipes and add in a little vegetable goodness, too.
Before using an unfamiliar fruit or vegetable, learn about the qualities of it before you start. You may find that your research leads to many great new ways to use the food. The better prepared you are before you start, the better your kitchen experiences will be.
Always drain excess fat off soups and stews before eating. If you’re making a stew or a soup that contains too much fat, let the dish cool down all the way so that the fat rises to the top. Place an ice cube atop a spoon and skim it over the surface of the soup or stew. Fat sticks to ice, so this will gather it right up. Rather blot the fat with a paper towel.
Check to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly by using a meat thermometer. Meats have a specific internal temperature schedule that determines they are cooked and safe for human consumption. Meat that has not been cooked sufficiently can have bacteria growing in it, and these can cause illness if eaten.
To reduce the amount of stress you experience when cooking a complicated dish, you can prepare some of the ingredients the night before you need them. Gather all your ingredients together, chop what needs to be chopped, measure out all the required herbs and spices and make sure you have everything that you need on hand. When the time comes to actually cook the meal, you will just have to combine the ingredients in the right order and cook them at the proper temperature for the correct amount of time.
By using the tips given above, you will be that much closer to making the meals you love! Be creative, add different sauces and spices to your favorite recipes. You might even discover a new food that turns out to be your favorite! Unleash your inner chef by following both the tips above, and your own taste buds.